Weight Loss VII: Getting back into the swing
I've been loathe to post a 'regular' update, but I just want to put a quick one out there because I am pleased. For the last few months it has been a bit frustrating because I'd basically plateaued. The main reason for the plateau was getting sloppy with my caloric intake. At first I had stopped logging when I ate something that was simply impossible to even guess at very well, such as eating out or any number of reasons for being sloppy. Then I kind of stopped logging dinner at all. Then lunches and if I wasn't logging that there wasn't much point in logging breakfast.
And since I wasn't logging, I slowly paid less attention to what I was actually eating. Looking back, I'd guess I ended up around 2700 calories a day. Which at my current weight and exercise level, appears to be a pretty good maintenance level -- both according to a pretty good set of BMR calculators and the fact that I stayed pretty static the whole time.
But I don't want this to be the end point. I've tried a few times to get back into the logging habit, but I keep going "oh what the hell" at dinner/snack time and then doing something to go way over and then being frustrated later. But I've kept trying.
This week I finally found the discipline to stop. Which isn't to say I've totally stopped; I've actually had ice cream nearly every day this week, but they've been small portions and I've carefully kept enough calories available for it so I can have my indulgence.
So I'm shooting for 2,000 calories a day. If I'm maintaining at 2700, then that should lose me about a pound and a half a week. That's a lower pace than I'd been on, but I think 2,000 calories can be fairly comfortable.
But I'm remembering the extra hunger I tended to feel right before lunch, and the 3pm snack time. Right now I'm filling those with a piece of fruit. Envy apples are in season right now, that'd been a great, reasonable snack to fill that gap.
Anyway, I've kept on track since Sunday and it's starting to get easier again, which is how I remember it going the first time. I generally have to break through that really hard 2-3 first days and then I feel better about it.
So hopefully over the next few weeks I'll stay good and I'll start to see results on the scale again.
And since I wasn't logging, I slowly paid less attention to what I was actually eating. Looking back, I'd guess I ended up around 2700 calories a day. Which at my current weight and exercise level, appears to be a pretty good maintenance level -- both according to a pretty good set of BMR calculators and the fact that I stayed pretty static the whole time.
But I don't want this to be the end point. I've tried a few times to get back into the logging habit, but I keep going "oh what the hell" at dinner/snack time and then doing something to go way over and then being frustrated later. But I've kept trying.
This week I finally found the discipline to stop. Which isn't to say I've totally stopped; I've actually had ice cream nearly every day this week, but they've been small portions and I've carefully kept enough calories available for it so I can have my indulgence.
So I'm shooting for 2,000 calories a day. If I'm maintaining at 2700, then that should lose me about a pound and a half a week. That's a lower pace than I'd been on, but I think 2,000 calories can be fairly comfortable.
But I'm remembering the extra hunger I tended to feel right before lunch, and the 3pm snack time. Right now I'm filling those with a piece of fruit. Envy apples are in season right now, that'd been a great, reasonable snack to fill that gap.
Anyway, I've kept on track since Sunday and it's starting to get easier again, which is how I remember it going the first time. I generally have to break through that really hard 2-3 first days and then I feel better about it.
So hopefully over the next few weeks I'll stay good and I'll start to see results on the scale again.